The first set of offseason Power Rankings are out. Check out where the Giants stand:
Giants: 7
NFC East: 2. Cowboys, 7. Giants, 13. Redskins, 23. Eagles
NFL Top 5: 1. Patriots, 2. Cowboys, 3. Seahawks, 4. Packers, 5. Falcons
They already did their major defensive upgrades. Now they need to boost their offensive line and running game to make Eli Manning great again.
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Giants: 11
NFC East: 4. Cowboys, 11. Giants, 15. Redskins, 25. Eagles
NFL Top 5: 1. Patriots, 2. Falcons, 3. Packers, 4. Cowboys, 5. Seahawks
As much as they improved, imbalanced team's inability to run ball or stop pass was apparent in postseason.
Giants: 9
NFC East: 3. Cowboys, 9. Giants, 12. Redskins, 23. Eagles
NFL Top 5: 1. Patriots, 2. Falcons, 3. Cowboys, 4. Packers, 5. Seahawks
Why they're here: The Giants' defense took a major jump after a series of offseason additions, allowing the NFL's second-lowest points average (17.8 per game) and forcing 25 turnovers, tied for 11th in the NFL. The emergence of All-Pro safety Landon Collins and the consistency of defensive tackle Damon Harrison, who had the best approximate value (via Pro Football Reference) of any Giants defender in 2016, was especially promising. There is reason to believe that defense can be a strength of the Giants for years to come.
What could change: Teams always are smart to emphasize their superstar playmakers, but the Giants were too reliant on receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in 2016. He accounted for nearly twice as many yards from scrimmage (1,376) as any of his teammates. Without offseason improvement, an extended absence from Beckham would cripple the offense. The Giants will spend the offseason looking for ways to be more well-rounded.
Giants: 9
NFC East: 3. Cowboys, 9. Giants, 17. Redskins, 25. Eagles
NFL Top 5: 1. Patriots, 2. Falcons, 3. Cowboys, 4. Steelers, 5. Packers
The Giants weren't nearly as good as their record indicated, and that was on display against the Packers in the postseason. Despite their failure in the wild-card round, the Giants boast a young, dominant defense with just about all of its playmakers returning for another season. Pencil them in near the top of the NFC East again next season.
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